Immersive virtual reality game

Our team created the immersive virtual reality (VR) media concept THECALL to examine the psychological pressure and complexity involved in crucial police decision-making. The project immerses users in direct situations where every decision has a direct impact on the result. THECALL serves as an experiential platform for both the general public as a source of entertainment, and professional public as a training tool for emergency services, integrating narrative driven design with interactive, decision-based technologies. Our idea centers on two testing scenarios that first responders encounter: a volatile hostage situation and an active robbery. THECALL was translated into a puzzle form in which the correct choice could stabilize a situation and the incorrect one would worsen it.

The tool urges the use of psychological realism, dilemmas, and emotional pressure over physical action. For users to experience the project they must use critical thinking, and responsible behaviour as they would be in a place where they would value and recognize the consequences of their choices in situations of uncertainty. THECALL’s system has been designed on 9 escalating decision points which serve as the main component of the system. At each stage, the users are given 3 options, each of which has an impact on the future outcome, environmental risk, and suspicious behavior. Each of the three decisions is a step towards the final outcome which could be a tragedy, a successful resolution, or a critical learning loop. Instead of punishing mistakes, the learning loop stops the action, shows what your past decisions caused, and lets you step back in with new information that will influence your decision towards either tragedy or successful resolution. The system is designed to deepen reflection, learning, and emotional connection.

The core of the research is on the basis of de-esclation tactics, crisis negotiation techniques, and real police training methods. We looked into how communication, patience, & emotional intelligence can have an impact on the outcome of high-risk situations by analyzing actual incident reports. In addition to that, we explored immersive storytelling strategies that depend on tension, uncertainty, and moral ambiguity, such as those found in thriller media and virtual reality experiences. These sources of inspiration supported us with developing scenarios that are emotionally compelling, realistic, and morally sound.

We worked as a team of three using a well structured collaborative process. Firstly, we started off with a group brainstorming session to exchange ideas, define the goal and shape the overall direction of the project. Following that, the core concept was born, tasks were divided based on each member’s strengths which has made the work much more efficient and aligned

This case study illustrates how a single initial decision branches into multiple layers of choices, each leading to different outcomes which are the following

1-Rescue
2-Learning loop
3-Tragedy

In the hostage scenario, The decision point will be an Initial Approach.

The three options are “Announce and Negotiate”, “Silent Breach”, and “Distract & Isolate”.

If I will choose Announce. I will get three more options. “Calm Authority”, “Empathetic Appeal” and “Firm Ultimatum”.

If I choose Calm Authority. I will get three more options. “Let’s talk, what do you need?”, “Step away from the Hostage”, and “We have snipers. Stand down”

“Let’s talk, What do you need?” Will lead to Rescue. “Step away from the hostage” is a loop. And “We have snipers. Stand down” will lead to Tragedy.


This case study serves as a demonstration on how communication based decisions, rather than physical action, have a direct influence on tragedy, learning, or resolution with a high risk hostage scenario

The inspirations for THECALL are the following

• Police Simulator: Patrol Officers: The users are in the role of a police officer responding to everyday incidents and emergency calls, emphasizing realistic procedures, judgments and consequences.
  
• The Precinct: Users are placed in the role of a rookie cop responding to crimes emphasizing moment to moment judgment and situational response during police work

Overall, THECALL is a blend of collaborative design & immersive media technology. This research is a pure example of how immersive media can be used for both meaningful training & entertainment at the same time